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Halloween Decorations

Halloween decorations are the first thing to come out as we get closer to the big day. I know I have been working on my yard for the last couple of days once we got into October! However, decorations can present a multitude of dangers not only to our pets but to wildlife in general!

There can be wires that can be chewed and you have to watch for small decorations that can be swallowed as they present a choking hazard! I love to use a ton of artificial spiderwebs out in the yard as well, but be careful since these can entangle not only your pet but local wildlife! Last year I had to rescue a squirrel from mine…

Halloween Candy and A Safe Halloween With Pets

Candy and chocolate is a must at Halloween! And chocolate is a no-go where pet safety is concerned. Chocolate is toxic to dogs and cats due to the theobromine content as well as caffeine content. And the darker the chocolate the higher the theobromine content…According to the AKC one ounce of milk chocolate per pound of body weight is a concerning dose. If your dog consumes chocolate watch for vomiting and diarrhea, restlessness, and an increased heart rate. Since eating chocolate can also cause seizures and in some cases death you should consult your veterinarian.

Sugar free candy is another one to watch our for! This includes certain types of candy, mints and chewing gum. This is because sugar free candy contains xylitol which is also toxic to dogs and cats. Xylitol can cause listless and weakness in dogs as well as cause vomiting or collapse.

So really, the best thing to do is keep all Halloween candy out of reach to your pets (not only the contents but the wrapper can cause issues if ingested!). If your cat or dog manages to get into something they shouldn’t be sure to keep a close eye on them in case of adverse reactions. And of course consult with your vet.

A Safe Halloween With Pets and Costumes

Even as a fully grown adult with a daughter of my own, there is nothing I love more than planning my Halloween costume! And the dogs too! The cats? Ummmmm, yeah right haha. If I thought I could get away with it I would!

But did you know that there are things you need to take into consideration when picking out a costume for your pet? Pets can be prone to overheating in a cumbersome costume. So be sure to keep a close eye on your pet to make sure they aren’t showing signs of heat exhaustion in their costume. You can read more on heat exhaustion in dogs HERE.

Be sure to watch for anything that they can rip off or ingest as well.

And some costumes can be difficult to walk in and you definitely don’t want to put them in something that could restrict them from going to the bathroom! As I mentioned above I may just throw a sheet over my dogs this year…or another idea I have seen is just making a Ty heart and attaching it to their collar so they look like giant beanie babies! Sweet and simple!

Halloween Pet Safety On The Big Night

Although my dogs love Halloween because they love attention from anyone and everyone, your pet may not be the same. While you socialize your dog and get them used to many sights and sounds at a young age, costumes aren’t your typical everyday appearance and could be alarming. There are also lots of extra sounds and excitement and doorbells being rung.

If your pet isn’t a fan of the ghosts and goblins, you can consider crating them away from the action in a quiet spot. Or if a crate isn’t your dog’s thing then sectioning off a quiet room for them. White noise can also help mask the extra sounds that come with Halloween. CBD could also be a good option to help your pet stay calm. You can read more on CBD for dogs HERE!

We would love to see your Halloween costumes with your pets!! Post them in the comments below!

The post How To Have A Safe Halloween With Pets first appeared on Help! I've Got Pets.

This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you.  By making your purchases through the links on this website HIGP may make a small percentage at no direct cost to you. HIGP only promotes products we use & truly believe in. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my Privacy and Disclosures for further information. HIGP thanks you for your support!

Pet Costumes

Pet costumes are downright adorable! But you need to keep a few things in mind if you are considering dressing up your dog or cat. Ok, probably more your dog since I know of very few cats that will actually tolerate it without taking a few layers of your skin with them…

Some costumes can limit the movement of your pet and can also interfere with their bathroom duties. And keep in mind that certain costumes can be hot for your pet. You don’t want them overheating in their costume! Check any costume for potential choking hazards. No one knows the temperament of your pet better than you. So you should have a good idea if dressing up your pet is going to stress them out. Be sure to check out our top pet costume ideas HERE!

People Costumes

While you may have done your best to socialize your dog and get them used to a variety of situations, Halloween is a bit of a special one. Yes, your dog is ok with someone wearing a hat or face mask. But what about a full costume? It only comes on one day of the year, and your dogs may not be ok with the costumes coming at them!

Pay close attention to your dog’s body language when out and about. Or try to take them out for walks at times when they are less likely to run into a frightening costume!

Chocolate and Candy

Chocolate and Halloween go hand in hand! But chocolate is toxic to our dogs. The darker the chocolate (higher cocoa percentage) the more toxic it is! Keep all Halloween chocolate well out of reach of dogs. You can get your pup a special taste of Halloween with some of these treat ideas from Chewy!

Candy may also have xylitol in it. Xylitol is a sugar substitute and can cause massive insulin spikes in dogs, leading to low blood sugar and can end up causing death! You can read more on xylitol and what products it is commonly found in in Pet Health Network’s article HERE.

Trick or Treat!

I love seeing all the little ghouls and witches coming to my door on Halloween! But my dogs also get really REALLY excited anytime the doorbell rings! And in our neighborhood Halloween is crazy with the streets overrun by trick or treaters!

If you think that your dog may get stressed out by the traffic coming to the door you may want to put them in their crate or in a quiet room where they can stay calm. White noise or music can help to mask the sounds going on all around the neighborhood. You may also want to check out something like CBD oil to keep them calm. You can read more on CBD oil HERE.

Greeting trick or treaters outside so they don’t have to come to the door is another option to consider. This also reduces the risk that your pet escapes when the door gets opened! Just in case your cat or dog does get out of the house make sure that they have proper identification or even some sort of a GPS tracker so you can locate them quickly and get them back home safely.

Glow Sticks

Have an avid chewer on your hands? Luckily mine aren’t…Unless it is a cardboard box then it’s game over! Glow sticks can be a fun accessory for trick or treaters on a dark Halloween night. But they contain chemicals that can be dangerous to our pups if ingested!

The dibutyl phthalate in glow sticks likely isn’t enough to cause death. But it can make your dog pretty sick and uncomfortable! Keep glow sticks well away from your pets.

Decorations

When decorating for Halloween think if your decorations are going to be pet friendly! Fake spiderwebs can be a tangle and choking hazard not only for dogs and cats but local wildlife as well! Keep your pets well away from lit candles. Curious dogs and cats can get singed whiskers and fur (or worse) or could accidentally knock over a lit candle causing fires.

Decorative corn can cause stomach upset as well. And it also presents a choking hazard if a dog decides to eat the whole thing. My dogs don’t really care too much about what we do out in our front yard! But changing their environment can cause some dogs stress!

Pumpkins

Pumpkin can be good for your pet’s digestion. But as with anything only in moderation! Too much pumpkin can actually cause them to have digestion issues. And rotting pumpkins can have bacteria that can make your dog or cat sick as well. Keep pumpkins out of reach of your pets and clean them up as soon as you can after the big day is over!

What do you do to keep your pet safe on Halloween?? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to sign up for our newsletter!!

The post Important Halloween Safety Tips For Cats and Dogs first appeared on Help! I've Got Pets.

This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you.  By making your purchases through the links on this website HIGP may make a small percentage at no direct cost to you. HIGP only promotes products we use & truly believe in. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my Privacy and Disclosures for further information. HIGP thanks you for your support!

Beat The Heat!

Many families enjoy being outside on Canada Day and Independence Day! Make sure to provide your pet with enough shade and cool spots to hang out, as well as plenty of water to avoid heat exhaustion! To find out more about heat exhaustion in dogs, read HERE for symptoms and treatment.

You can also provide options such as cooling vests and cooling mats as an option to help keep your pup cool! And of course a kiddie pool is a ton of fun for everyone…

Food Safety

There are many barbecue and picnic foods that you should not be sharing with your dog! Things like corn on the cob, rib bones and chicken bones pose a choking risk which can lead to an emergency trip to the vet. And since it is a holiday this means the after hours emergency vet and likely a hefty vet bill…

Other foods can be toxic for your dog, such as chocolate, potatoes, onions, garlic and grapes. Xylitol is another ingredient added to food that is extremely toxic to dogs and produces a huge insulin release which can quickly lower their blood sugar. It can cause lethargy, seizures, liver failure and in extreme cases death. Check ingredient lists to see if xylitol or sugar alcohol is added to food before giving a taste to your pup as it is common in gum, baked goods and even in some brands of ice cream. For more on Xylitol and dogs read PetMDs article here.

Water Safety

What a better way to spend a day to celebrate out on the water! Make sure to have plenty of hydration on hand and give your dog frequent bathroom breaks! I have life preservers with handles for my dogs as well in case they end up in the water! Grace loves to swim but she’s not a very good swimmer and tires very easily so this is a must if we are out on the water! I’m going to get her out on a paddle board with me yet…although I anticipate many dumps into the lake before she gets the hang of it. And Benson is already a lost cause I think because he is SCARED of the boards! Read more of the other every day (and completely harmless) things he is scared of here!

Fireworks

Canada Day and Independence Day go hand in hand with fireworks! However, some dogs are extremely sensitive to the sound (as well as local wildlife). If your dog is reactive, make sure to keep them in a secure and quiet place to limit the amount of distress they are under. You can also have background noise on so that they have less a chance of hearing them! But be sure to keep an eye on them to make sure they aren’t stressed out in their space. Try to walk your dog as early in the day as possible as well and before dark to lessen the chance of hearing fireworks.

If you are watching fireworks away from home, consider leaving your dog at home. If they slip their collar or get away from you they may run away. If you have no choice but to bring your dog, you can look at GPS collars in this type of situation to make sure that they are found quickly and safely! And of course, make sure that they have a collar with tags with your phone number on it so that you can be notified if someone finds your dog.

Calming agents such as CBD oil or a prescription from your vet administered before dark can also help to keep your dog calm. Be sure to check for the correct dose as CBD oil is dosed by weight. If you are looking at CBD oil, make sure to find a brand that has been tested by independent third parties and extracted using CO2 to ensure dosage consistency. Thundershirts can also be used as an option, and works much the same way as a weighted blanket does for people.

How are you choosing to celebrate this Canada Day or Independence Day? Are you going to be including Fido in your celebrations? Drop us a comment below to let us know how you plan on keeping your pets safe for these holidays!

Be sure to read our full post on heat exhaustion so you know what to watch for ahead of time here

Our full list of summer safety tips can also be found here

The post Dog Safety Tips For Canada Day and Independence Day first appeared on Help! I've Got Pets.

This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you.  By making your purchases through the links on this website HIGP may make a small percentage at no direct cost to you. HIGP only promotes products we use & truly believe in. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my Privacy and Disclosures for further information. HIGP thanks you for your support!

Campground Rules and Policies

Most campgrounds are dog friendly! Just be sure to read the rules before hand to make sure that your dog will be welcome. I have found that most campgrounds have leash requirements, but there are some options out there that do have off leash dog areas. Most campgrounds also have rules on whether your dog is allowed on the beach or not or may have a separate area for dogs. Picking up after your pet is also a must!

While most dogs bark, many campgrounds will not put up with excessive barking. Aggressive dogs will also unlikely be tolerated so if you have a dog with behaviour issues then perhaps another outdoor activity might be more suitable.

Just be sure to do thorough research before booking to ensure that you and your dog have a great experience!

Plan Your Route

If you will be travelling in the car for a long period of time to get to your destination you will want to find spots that you can let your dog have a break and potty time! When I drove home in an RV last summer I made sure that we could stop about every three hours. But Benson does not do well with new situations and he needed more frequent stops on the way home…so we were pulling over at the roadside in potentially unsafe conditions. A little preparation here will go a long way!

Prepare

Now that you have planned and booked your camping trip, there are essential items that you will need to pack to make the trip successful!

Essential supplies for your dog include:

• Food and water bowls
• Extra water and food
• Treats
• Pet waste bags
• Tie outs and a tether or stake
• Well-fitting collars and harnesses
• ID tags with your contact information
• Pet first aid kit
• Toys and chews
• Extra towels
• Medications
• Brush and matte/burr removing tool
• List of nearby vets to the campground

Some other things you may want to consider include:

• Rain jacket
• Protective boots
• Cooling vest
• Thunder jacket
• Sunscreen
• Life jacket
• Reflective collar for night time
• GPS collar
• Activity Tracker

Tenting

Loving to be in a tent myself, this is how I prefer to camp. But anyone who likes to tent knows that they can heat up quickly in the sun. To prevent heat exhaustion, make sure that you do not leave your dog alone in the tent.

Make sure that the tent entrance is securely closed at night. If you think that it might be an issue, you can try placing luggage in front of the tent door to prevent escape.

Size matters! My dogs are BEASTS so I would need to have a much bigger tent than the little four man one I currently have! The larger the better so that everyone is comfortable and has enough room to move around. If your dog sleeps in a crate, you may also want to consider bringing it so you will need to have enough room to accommodate it!

Fire Safety

What would camping even be without a campfire?? I love the taste of food cooked over a fire! And who doesn’t find it mesmerizing to sit around the fire after dark?

Well…my dogs have about zero sense that a fire is HOT! Especially if food is involved! If given the opportunity Grace especially will try to get close. Oh the smell of singed fur!

To deal with this, I tie the leads so that they cannot reach the fire but can still get close enough to us for rubs. They aren’t necessarily happy about it but safety first! You do not want to be out in the middle of nowhere and end up with burns. Always make sure the fire area is cool before letting the dogs anywhere near it, as some of the embers and coals can still be hot to the touch after several hours. And be watchful for any embers that could land on your pet causing burns.

Wildlife

Wildlife is more than likely present where you are camping. Keeping your dog on a leash can minimize the chance of an unwanted encounter!

Keep your dog’s food in a sealed container and clean up any spills so that wildlife is not encouraged to come and check it out…the last thing you need is a bear at your tent!

Always be respectful of the local wildlife. Not only can your dog end up getting hurt but they can also injure other animals.

The Escape Artist

As much as we try to keep our dogs contained, there are inevitable times where they can become the best escape artists! Also, some dogs get scared by thunder or fireworks which can make them bolt. You can try a thunder jacket to keep them calm in this case.

But if your dog does manage to escape,make sure that you have your dog microchipped and up to date on shots. This way, if they do get away from you they can be returned if found. A collar with tags and your contact information can also be very helpful to get your pet back to you safely.

A GPS collar can add another level of reassurance as you can find your dog quickly if it gets lost rather than hoping someone will find them or that they will find their way back to you! I even want my mom to get these for her cats, especially after Zoey went missing for months a few years back. She made it back home, but her other cat Petunia did not. You can read all about that story here.

Water

Bring extra water with you! Your dog will likely drink more water than they would at home and keeping them hydrated when outdoors is very important! I packed a LOT of extra water when we had our RV adventure last summer and I was surprised that we went through most of it!

Keep the water bowl in a cool shaded place if you can, and change it when it gets dirty.

Don’t let your dog drink out of puddles and stagnant pools of water as it can potentially make them sick! Benson LOVES to drink out of any little puddle he can find so it is always a chore to drag him away from there! I even take water down to the beach with me…but he finds the lake infinitely more interesting and on bad water quality days if he gets in there I know I am in for a night of standing at the back door with him…

Dog Friendly Activities

Last summer on our trip what I failed to realize was that some of our planned sightseeing stops were not dog friendly…much to the disappointment of my daughter. As a result, we missed out on the Agawa Rock pictographs and stopping at the amethyst mines.

If your dog is reasonably active you can look for hiking trails to explore! When researching campgrounds check out nearby trails and check to see if they allow your dogs on them.

Some campgrounds are right on the water and have beaches. But not all of them are necessarily dog-friendly. Our first stop last summer was at an amazing campground that had access to a small private lake, but when we walked down there we realized that dogs were not allowed on the beach at all. At Agawa in Lake Superior Provincial Park we were lucky that they had a dedicated strip of beach where dogs were allowed off leash! Grace and Benson had an absolute blast! Pancake Bay Provincial Park also had a beach with a big section where dogs were allowed off leash. Always remember to check ahead!

Other activities could include boating or kayaking. Or if your dog is trained for it, paddle boarding!! We just got paddle boards and I would LOVE to train my dogs on them! I even have life jackets for the dogs! However, I have a strong feeling that Grace would just end up jumping right into the water anyways since she loves swimming. And Benson is scared of the boards once they are blown up…

Get Camping!

Now it is time to get out there and start your next adventure with your dog! Camping is a great escape for everyone and provides a great bonding opportunity! With a little planning and research it can be a great experience!

Any other tips for planning your next camping trip? Let us know in the comments below and be sure to follow us on social media for more adventures!

The post How To Camp With Your Dog! first appeared on Help! I've Got Pets.

I noticed with Grace and Benson that I am already needing to really watch what time of day we are going for walks as their coats mean they can heat up really quickly. Also, the sand at the beach and pavement are already starting to heat up as well.

This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you.  By making your purchases through the links on this website HIGP may make a small percentage at no direct cost to you. HIGP only promotes products we use & truly believe in. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my Privacy and Disclosures for further information. HIGP thanks you for your support!

So what can we do to keep our pets safe and enjoy the summer months?

Keeping Your Pets Cool

Make sure you keep your pets cool this summer! Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are real risks to take into consideration. This can lead to a pet’s organs shutting down and could even be fatal. Take temperature and humidity into consideration before heading out. And try to stick to early morning or evening walks on hot days. NEVER leave your dog in a car!

Make sure that shade and cooler spots, such as in the house in air conditioning is available to them. Grace and Benson are cold weather lovers! And for a good part of the summer you can find them inside lounging in the air conditioning! Make sure you are aware of the warning signs that your dog is overheating.

For additional ways to keep cool, you could look into cooling mats or raised dog beds. There are plenty of cooling mat options available. However, a certain big white Ragdoll cat I won’t mention (Whiskers…) also took a liking to the cooling mats I had. He kneaded them and inevitably put holes in them…But still not a bad option if you are going to the beach or for a picnic. Raised dog beds cool dogs by providing a breeze under them.

Hot Surfaces

You all know that feeling when you hit the beach on a hot, sunny day and you are RUNNING to the water because your feet are burning? Remember that when taking your dogs for a walk or to the beach. Pavement and sand (and even artificial turf) can heat up to the point of being painful for our animals.

Being a beach lover myself, I try to stick with times when the sand won’t be as hot such as early morning. For our afternoon walks I head over to the local park instead. It is closer and even the pavement can burn your pup’s feet.

If you are at the beach and you notice that your dog seems to be having issues with their feet, make sure to check in between the pads on their feet as grains of hot sand can get up there and burn them. Last summer this happened to Benson! I saw he was having trouble I had to pick him up and carry him to a shaded spot! Great fun with an 80lb puppy…(he was ok).

You can also look at paw protection wax which will create a barrier between the dog’s feet and the surface they are walking on. I know we are talking about summer here but also great to protect their feet from salt and ice in the winter, so good to have on hand year round.

Hydration

Plenty of cool water should be made available to your pets. My dogs empty about a water bowl every HOUR! And for some unknown reason only out of the smallest bowl I have so I am forever shuffling back and forth from the kitchen sink! But this goes for walks too. Carry a water bottle with cool water and a pop up water bowl so that you can provide a drink on walks.

Water also helps to prevent heat exhaustion and stroke, which is potentially life threatening. I LOVE my community. Plenty of businesses and home owners leave a water bowl with fresh water out on the sidewalks! Which leads to plenty of pulling to get to those water bowls…Because they are infinitely more interesting than the water I have…

Be Mindful of Fireworks

My dogs are relatively calm with noises of any sort since we encounter all kinds of loud noises walking in Toronto. However, there are plenty of dogs that can get scared and anxious by the sound of fireworks. Or even a thunderstorm can send Fido running for a safe place to hide.

Consider leaving your dog at home if you are going to a fireworks display. Besides being afraid of the noise, there are chemicals in the fireworks which can be poisonous if a curious pup finds one.

If you are at home, leave them in the house and create a safe spot if you are putting on a display. Or, if you know that there will be fireworks on a particular day or holiday that can be heard from home, you can try closing your windows and using white noise or music to mask the sound. Toys and treats can also be used as a distraction and you could even consider the use of CBD oil to keep your pets calm.

Dog calming blankets are something I have heard other dog owners use as well.

Sun Safety

Besides heating up walking surfaces, did you know that your pet can also get a sunburn? Dogs with short or light hair are more at risk of a sunburn! And similar to people it can even end up leading to a higher risk of cancer!

Fortunately, there are sunscreen options available for our furry friends! Apply sunscreen to vulnerable areas on your pet every 3-4 hours (belly, ears, nose).

Parasites

Yes, we don’t want to think about them but there are plenty of nasty little creatures out there such as fleas, ticks and mosquitos that can transmit potentially fatal illnesses to our pets. Who hasn’t read my tick story??

Speak to your vet to find appropriate treatments for fleas, ticks and heartworm. All I know is I do NOT want to have to pull another tick out of my cats…EVER.

Camping or Cottaging

We love our pets and want to take them with us everywhere! Besides the tips above, there are a few things to be mindful of if vacationing to a cottage or taking a camping trip.

At the cottage a life jacket can be used if your pet loves to swim but isn’t a great swimmer (like Grace…). Grace tires really easily out in the water so we have life jackets in case we are planning to be out on the water for any amount of time. And Benson can’t swim AT ALL. Also great to use if you plan on taking your dog out on a paddle board or in a boat in case they fall in the water.

Camping is great fun for the whole family, but tents can heat up really quickly in the sun so you should NOT be leaving your pet in there alone. Make sure that your dog is a safe distance from any fires as well, as even a stray spark can land on them causing burns or serious injury. Grace has about ZERO concept that fire is dangerous…

Grooming

Certain types of dogs that are non-shedding need to be trimmed and groomed as they do not shed their hair (unlike mine, who are currently losing handfuls of fur any time I pet them…). Try leaving their hair a little bit longer to protect them from sunburn.

Dogs that have a double coat should NOT be trimmed. The undercoat protects them from both heat and cold so while you think you might be doing them a favor they actually lose the ability to self-regulate their temperature if shaved.

Any other tips that I might have missed here? Leave a comment below and sign up for my newsletter!!

The post What You Need To Know About Summer Safety For Pets first appeared on Help! I've Got Pets.

I take my dogs to the dog park at the beach almost every day! They LOVE to go there, and usually when we start getting close Benson just simply cannot contain himself any longer and the wrestle is on!! Grace just wants to get there though and can get a bit uppity with the big guy…This usually results in a LOT of comments and laughter on the boardwalk…I think one day it took me about twenty minutes to walk ten feet!

This post may contain affiliate links at no additional cost to you.  By making your purchases through the links on this website HIGP may make a small percentage at no direct cost to you. HIGP only promotes products we use & truly believe in. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please refer to my Privacy and Disclosures for further information. HIGP thanks you for your support!

The dog park that we go to is HUGE and right on the water. There is a smaller area for smaller dogs and a really large area for everyone. This is where Grace learned to swim!! And in the winter the entire beach south of the snow fence is off leash which makes for a great time!

Vaccinations

Grace went to the beach to be off leash for the first time after she had all her shots. It is VERY important to make sure your puppy has all it’s shots before making the plunge as there is a very real risk of illness. Make sure to keep your pet up to date on vaccines as well as they can encounter many different viruses and parasites at the park. Check out the Blue Cross Animal Hospital’s vaccination schedule for your puppy here.

Recall

I was REALLY nervous about taking Grace off her leash the first time! She was about four and a half months old and her recall was still very much a work in progress! Also, as the snow fences have many openings I was a bit worried that she would run off and through to the great big world beyond. There are no roads close to it though, so I decided to give it a go! And guess what…she did GREAT! She even met another Bernese!

Recall is a very important part of a great off leash experience with your dog! I had taken Grace to puppy classes already and she was very good with the “touch” command and this was a great opportunity to test it out with her. Recall can keep your dog close to you if there are any gaps in fencing. It is also a way to get your dog out of what could potentially be a dangerous situation.

Benson does great at the dog park as well! He had a few run ins though before he was neutered, and he was a bit leery of a certain dog walker and his crew. It made his experience not so great for a while but I still wanted to make sure he was socialized and did not get fearful so we found times to go when there were better behaved dogs in the park.

Aggressive Dogs

Fights can definitely happen, even with the best behaved dogs. Benson was being picked on quite frequently and when he started getting reactive to dogs that took issue with him we quit going. I did not want him hurting a smaller dog or risk having him get injured.

Picking the right time of the day can make a big difference in your experience. Early in the morning and after work are times when you will get dogs with their owners and I find the dogs are generally better behaved. During the day you may run into dog walkers with big groups of dogs that may be less well behaved.

Look and Listen

Before I go into the dog park I generally take a good look ahead of time and also listen for any issues. The day Benson was attacked badly I could hear the dogs coming into the dog park with the dog walker and there was a lot of nervous energy in that group…There can also be owners who are inattentive or dismiss their dog’s behaviour which you want to stay away from.

Also, if there is a fight DO NOT try to get between the dogs. You could get seriously hurt!! Try other things first like throwing water on the dogs or distracting them somehow. When it happened to Benson it was a very scary experience, and the dog walker ended up having to rip the other dog off him. I was running and screaming, and it had only been a mere few seconds but it was like time stood still until I made sure he was ok!

Injuries

Even with play there is the potential for injuries at a dog park. Make sure that you are familiar with vets in the area in case of an emergency. I also carry a small bag with a few things such as bandages in it just in case I need to act quickly before we get to the vet. Grace has also cut her foot at the park and a bandage wrap is a good way to treat the wound initially until you can get further treatment from a vet.

Know Your Dog Park

Make sure you are familiar with the park’s fencing and boundaries. The park I go to has fencing but it does not go all the way down to the water so there are some routes of escape. I have seen more than one owner have to go chase down their dog when they discovered their freedom!! This is also where good recall comes into play!

Know Your Dog

You also know your dog better than anyone else! A shy or nervous dog should not go into a dog park as it can lead to aggression. I find it is a great way to socialize my dogs and let them burn off some energy! Grace also loves to paddle around in the lake…Benson? Not so much, the only time he actually swam was when he fell into the water and had no choice! It was not a pretty dog paddle…

Dogs with guarding issues, whether it be related to either food or toys, should also not go into a dog park. Frequently there are owners throwing toys for their dogs so everyone should be good with sharing. Also, many dog owners carry dog treats with them.

I have also disbelievingly seen people without dogs set up tents and picnics in the dog park…Last summer Grace crashed one such tent and caused a significant amount of destruction…I stood there in disbelief when the people actually got mad at ME…For having a dog off leash…in an OFF LEASH dog park that they would to have gone through not one but TWO gates to get into…Then there was that one time the owners of a food guarding bulldog brought a marrow bone into the park…I am sure you can imagine how well that went…

Dog Park Etiquette

This is a natural lead-in to dog park etiquette! ALWAYS pick up after your dog. A couple weeks ago as I was heading over to pick up a gift from Grace (always as far away from me as possible) I stepped in a pile left behind by another dog. Super annoying.

Make sure your dog is well behaved with other dogs. Disagreements are bound to happen sometimes even yet. But if your dog and the other dogs are properly socialized it should keep them to a minimum.

DON’T bring females in heat to the dog park! Just don’t. It can cause fights between male dogs. Which we just don’t want to happen.

Small Children

I see a lot of parents bring small children into the dog park as well. This is all well and great but you need to be aware that there are dogs of all size and temperament in the dog park. My dogs are rather large and can easily knock over a small child which puts them at risk for injury. They don’t mean to but they are big clumsy oafs at times!

Know When To Leave

If you notice that your dog is not behaving well, you may need to leash them and leave the dog park. I see so many people with dogs that are not in control or aggressive laugh it off and downplay it and allow the behaviour to continue. (Queue up the “they’ve never done that before” response). However, I have also seen just as many owners do the responsible thing. I have had to leash mine more than once and that is typically when we move on.

It is actually almost time for us to head down to the dog park for the second time today!! The exercise and socialization does a great job of tiring my dogs right out! It has also taught them so much about interacting with other dogs and people. Grace loves to play and swim but will also plant her big wet bottom on someone’s feet for a rub! Dog parks can and should be a great experience for everyone!

Time to go rub some puppies…

Thinking about taking your pup to the dog park? Be sure to pick up the supplies you will need:

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